The meeting was called to order by Chairman Peterson at 7:00 p.m. with the Pledge of Allegiance. All Board Supervisors, the Clerk, and two residents were in attendance.

Motion by Johnson, seconded by Peterson to accept the minutes of the April 11th Board Meeting, the April 22nd Local Board of Appeal & Equalization Meeting, and the April 26th Special Meeting as presented. Carried unanimous.

Dale Orred presented a donation of $250 for the Station II fund. He also reported on activities of the Minnesota 100 organization which provides benefits to firefighters. The Ideal Fire Department is a member of the Minnesota 100 organization.

Bob Uppgaard presented a letter of concerns regarding publicity for the Township of the Year award received in 2014 and about voter turnout at township elections.

Chairman Peterson gave the Planning & Zoning report as follows:

1. There were nine permits issued in March; 7 land/septic, and 2 shoreland alteration.
2. The Extractive Use permit for a new gravel operation on the north side of Wild Acres Road was approved by the county.

Chairman Peterson presented the Road and Bridge report as follows:

1. The maintenance crew have been cleaning roads with the blower.
2. The crew have been building dumpsters for cardboard at the transfer station and will repair one that was damaged.
3. Several potholes have been filled and patched.
4. The park and town hall sprinkler systems have been repaired and activated for the season.
5. Outlined the plan for roadwork this summer with repaving on Silver Peak, Ruttger, Clamshell Cove, North Point, and Timber Lane roads. Plan also include surface repair of spots on Schaller, Long Farm, South Point roads and the helipad at Station II. Total area of paving is about 2.5 miles plus some areas need extra work to repair base below the road surface. Crack sealing will also be done on several recently repaved roads. Peterson expects the total cost to be around $375,000. Motion by Johnson, second by Bilek to proceed with the bid process for the work. Carried unanimous. The Clerk will publish notice with a bid opening on June 6th at 10 am.
6. There were no safety incidents.

Chairman Peterson presented a Fire Department report as provided by Chief Schultz:

1. There had been 6 emergency runs during April – 1 brush fire, and 5 first responder calls. Total year-to-date is 39 runs.
2. The fire boat is now in service for the season. Gate is closed as of May 1.
3. There were no safety incidents.

Supervisor Bilek presented the Transfer Station/Recycling Center report as follows:

1. Permit sales are up compared with last year. Total year-to-date for 2016 is 344, compared with 216 by this time last year.
2. Attendant Butch Field is now lead person at the station.
3. Grounds and building are cleaned up and well-maintained.
4. Another trespasser was arrested at the station. The sheriff will provide more patrols in the area.
5. A security system has been installed at the station office.
6. A “No loitering or picking” sign has been installed outside the office.
7. Will begin being open on Mondays, Wednesdays, & Saturdays starting June 1.
8. Expect the new bins for cardboard to be in service soon.

Supervisor Johnson presented the Parks & Recreation report as follows:

1. The survey of the park & maintenance building property is completed. Copies of the survey certificate and drawings were presented to the clerk.
2. The two land parcels have been combined and recorded at the county.
3. Johnson suggested reaching out to members of the co-op to find board members for the community garden. Once a board is established, the group can start planning how to set up the gardens. He asked the Clerk to send out an email to the co-op members.
4. Johnson will do a review of the buildings and grounds.

Motion by Bilek, second by Johnson to accept the treasurer’s report for April as amended. Report is to be amended to re-allocate the Timothy Township fire contract payment to go to the General Fund, and to correct one Transfer Station receipt. Report includes receipts #5096 through #5110 totaling $18,526.75 and disbursements #IRS040416 through #20529 for total of $43,960.71. Carried unanimous.

Motion by Johnson, second by Peterson to approve the May claims as presented; claims #42417 through #42463 totaling $24,365.20. Carried unanimous.

Johnson spoke about reviewing utility coverages in the area with broadband being of particular interest.

Peterson had met with Mark Hallan of Widseth, Smith, Nolting regarding the inventory of road signs. Municipalities must have a plan & policy to maintain the proper condition of road signs. The inventory of signs is the first step of the township’s plan. Then each sign’s condition and placement can be evaluated to determine which signs need to be replaced, removed, or established to maintain road safety.

Dale Orred commented about the new outdoor emergency siren and suggested that residents be informed about them.

Peterson presented a policy document regarding mailboxes on township roads. The policy sets a standard for materials and placement of mailbox supports. It also suggests to replace non-conforming supports for residents when road construction is being done. This policy uses the MN DOT standard specification that was developed to enhance safety for motorists and to mitigate road maintenance issues. Motion by Johnson, second by Bilek to adopt the policy as presented. Carried unanimous.

Upcoming calendar items were reviewed as follows:

1. Township Legal Seminar by the law firm of Courri & Ruppe to be held in Albertville on June 2nd.
2. Road Construction Bid Opening on Monday June 6th at 10 am.
3. June Board Meeting on Monday, June 13th at 7 pm.

The Clerk presented a series of correspondence:

1. A letter from the Land Stewardship Project regarding legislative issues.
2. A proposal letter from the law firm of Courri & Ruppe that specializes in township legal issues. Peterson will set up a meeting with them for after the upcoming Legal Seminar.
3. A notice from the IRS accepting the tax-exempt status of the bonds issued for financing the new Engine 16.
4. A certificate of liability coverage from North Ambulance.
5. A proposal from Tom’s TV regarding adding A/V equipment for the town hall meeting rooms totals just over $21,000. The system includes a projector & sound system for the main room, a 55” TV & sound system for the classroom, and the equipment rack to control everything. Motion by Peterson, second by Bilek to approve the proposal. Carried unanimous.
6. Comment from Ron Kidder from the ICSO Board of Directors regarding having some facility to keep the town hall operational in case of disaster. There are grant funds available that could be used to help the township add power generation to the town hall. This would be very helpful for area residents to have access to electric and water if there is an extended power outage. Johnson has been working on similar planning for the school board so will contact Mr. Kidder to coordinate plans.
7. A proposal from Budget Lighting for materials to update the lighting at the maintenance building to LED for about $1000. The update is projected to pay for itself in less than 2 years and is eligible for about $300 in rebates. Johnson said to go ahead with the update.

There being no further business to transact, the meeting adjourned at 9:10 pm.

John Plein,
Ideal Township Clerk
May 25th, 2016